By Jon Alfuth In my sophomore year of high school, my AP European History teacher gave us a test on ancient Rome in week two of the course. The problem? We hadn’t learned anything about Roman history! To this day I still don’t understand her decision, but the experience left me with a strong distaste […]
From the Front Lines
Posted inConfessions of a Teacher, From the Front Lines, Middle School, Uncategorized
Teachers Who Won’t Be Silent Anymore: Ebony Murphy-Root
Bullying is a huge problem in our schools today. When a student is being bullied we, as teachers, encourage students to tell a trusted adult and it will be handled from there. In a perfect world, the responsible party would intervene, an agreement would be reached, and appropriate consequences will be issued. But what if […]
Posted inAsk a Teacher, Classroom Management, Current Events in Education, From the Front Lines, How to Fix Education, New Teacher Bootcamp, The New Teacher Chronicles
Reminders for the New Year for Teachers
The excitement of break and holiday fun is over. Snow has come and gone and may come again. But everywhere across the United States, classes are starting back for teachers and students. In elementary classrooms it is generally back to business as usual.  We don’t have class changes or a new group of students.  Here […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, From the Front Lines, Social Studies
Is Social Media Imperiling American Civics Education?
Guest Post by: Jeremy Adams In many ways, the job of a high school teacher now encountering the first fully digitalized student generation has been tossed on its head. No longer are we teachers the depositories of information in civil society. No longer are we the keepers of important knowledge and insight. Students can access the […]
Posted inCommon Core, Current Events in Education, Featured, From the Front Lines, Uncategorized
The Tyranny of the Datum
Data is a big deal. A great deal of innovation is happening right now in the field of data collection, storage, and management in the field of education. There are some well-documented fears among parents and teachers regarding these trends. Who will control the data? How will the data be used? Will my child’s data […]
Posted inFrom the Front Lines, New Teacher Bootcamp, Opinion, Parents
Give Them A Hero- Advocating for Students
My family and I spent New Year’s Eve together, which may not sound like much, except that my three kids are 19, 17 and 14. I know they could have gone with friends, but they chose to stay home and ring in 2014 with mom, dad and grandma. I was so excited that they made […]
Posted inCommon Core, From the Front Lines, Uncategorized
Ed Reform's Atari Problem
My cousin, John Michael, had the first Atari I ever saw. Not long after, my cousin Philip got one. I went to their houses every chance I got, and while I was there I hogged their video game machines as much as I could. I still remember the spongy feel and new plastic smell of […]
Posted inFeatured, From the Front Lines, How to Fix Education, Instruction & Curriculum, Instructional Coach Files, Uncategorized
Adventures in Coaching: Sometimes You Just Have to Teach
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”] Last week I had the humbling experience of comforting a teacher after a bad evaluation from an administrator. As the teacher cried and “defended” their actions in class, Â it reminded me […]